U.S. patent number 4,421,106 [Application Number 06/281,413] was granted by the patent office on 1983-12-20 for fiber scope for biopsy operable by a single operator.
Invention is credited to Takami Uehara.
United States Patent |
4,421,106 |
Uehara |
December 20, 1983 |
Fiber scope for biopsy operable by a single operator
Abstract
A fiber scope for biopsical use which is designed to be operable
by a single operator, and which comprises a pair of forceps with a
relatively short extension, an adaptor for selectively controlling
a motion of the forceps tip ends, and a stopper adapted to
selectively fix the longitudinal motion of the forceps controlling
wire with respect to the fiber scope proper. The adaptor is
disposed at or adjacent to the inlet portion of a forceps guide
sleeve which surrounds and extends longitudinally toward the tip
end and operating handle of the forceps. The combination of the
adaptor and the stopper will effectively serve to provide a
delicate and versatile adjustment in positioning of the forceps
with an easy manipulation during a biopsical investigation and
sampling procedure.
Inventors: |
Uehara; Takami (Daito-shi,
JP) |
Family
ID: |
12310156 |
Appl.
No.: |
06/281,413 |
Filed: |
July 8, 1981 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
Issue Date |
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77125 |
Sep 19, 1979 |
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778961 |
Mar 18, 1977 |
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Foreign Application Priority Data
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Mar 19, 1976 [JP] |
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51-30670 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
600/106;
600/153 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A61B
1/018 (20130101); A61B 10/04 (20130101); A61B
2017/347 (20130101); A61B 2017/22049 (20130101); A61B
2017/2946 (20130101); A61B 2017/00469 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
A61B
1/012 (20060101); A61B 1/018 (20060101); A61B
10/00 (20060101); A61B 17/00 (20060101); A61B
001/00 () |
Field of
Search: |
;128/4,5,6,7,311,321,751
;251/8,9,10 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
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3544060 |
December 1970 |
Stoltz et al. |
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Primary Examiner: Kamm; William E.
Assistant Examiner: Hindenburg; Max F.
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Armstrong, Nikaido, Marmelstein
& Kubovcik
Parent Case Text
This is a continuation of application Ser. No. 77,125, filed Sept.
19, 1979 which is a continuation of application Ser. No. 778,961
filed Mar. 18, 1977, both of which are now abandoned.
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A fiberoptic endoscope comprising:
a control unit housing;
a branched conduit in said housing having a first proximal end, a
second proximal end and a distal end, said first proximal end
having an inlet opening;
a flexible hollow conduit attached to said housing having a
proximal end and a distal end, the proximal end being fixed in said
housing at the distal end of said branched conduit and extending
from said distal end of said branched conduit;
an optic assembly comprising an eyepiece assembly mounted in said
housing at said second proximal end, a bundle of flexible optical
fibers extending in said branched conduit and said hollow conduit
from said eyepiece assembly to said distal end of said hollow
conduit, and an objective assembly mounted on said distal end of
said hollow conduit optically connected through said bundle of
optical fibers to said eyepiece assembly;
a guide sleeve formed as a portion of said housing at said inlet
opening of said first proximal end of said branched conduit;
a flexible tube operatively aligned with said guide sleeve and said
inlet opening;
a flexible forceps control wire extendable and retractable through
said flexible tube, said guide sleeve, said inlet opening, said
hollow conduit to and beyond the distal end and from the entirety
thereof;
a forceps attached to said flexible forceps control wire at an end
of said wire extending beyond the distal end of said hollow
conduit, said forceps being at all times during observation and
tissue taking in controllable view of said optic assembly;
a forceps control means attached to said forceps control wire at
the other end of said wire extending out of said flexible tube;
and
an adaptor holding said flexible tube to said guide sleeve and
defining a narrow path with said flexible tube from said inlet
opening extending outwardly in the direction of said forceps
control means for slidably guiding said forceps control wire in
combination with said flexible tube, said adaptor providing said
narrow path for a length sufficient to positively support said
flexible tube and the flexible tube being of sufficient length to
positively direct the sliding motion of said forceps control wire,
said flexible tube being connected to said adaptor, said forceps
control wire being of such a length that the portion of wire
between said adaptor and said forceps control means can, at all
times, be maintained in longitudinal extension without flexion
during progressive and recessive motion to and from a target spot
of tissue, and an entire biopsy operation including a final
operation of taking a tissue sample can be performed by a single
operator by controlling said forceps control means in one hand and
holding said control unit housing in said operator's other
hand.
2. An improved fiberoptic endoscope according to claim 1 further
comprising:
stopper means mounted on said flexible tube for selectively fixing
the longitudinal and rotational motion of said forceps control
wire.
3. Performing a polypectomy using the fiberoptic endoscope as
claimed in either claim 1 or 2.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates in general to a biopsical fiber scope
for medical biopsical examination purposes, or particularly to a
biopsy fiber scope which is operable by a single operator for
selective orientational control and delicate biopsy procedure in a
living internal organ of a patient or a laboratory animal.
Recently, following the extensive improvement in medical
technology, there have been developed and extensively practiced a
variety of medical instruments for biopsical examinations which can
be directly inserted into such internal organs as stomach,
duodenum, colon, etc. of a patient or a laboratory animal and which
have been adapted to observe and take a tissue sample of a
designated part of the living internal organ. Some typical examples
of such biopsical medical examination instruments are a fiber scope
developed by Hirschowitz (phonetic) which comprises a bundle of
optical fibers coated with a substance having a relatively small
index of refraction on the outer circumference of a core having a
relatively large index of refraction, and a biopsical fiber scope
which was developed by Takagi et al. by combining a pair of forceps
for biopsy use with that fiber scope as shown in FIG. 1. Another
typical flexible fiber scope is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,897,775.
These include a control unit housing with a branched conduit
therein. A flexible hollow conduit is attached to the housing. An
optic assembly is provided including an eyepiece assembly, a bundle
of flexible optical fibers and an objective assembly to permit
viewing of the area being examined.
Although such prior art fiber scopes presented an innovent practice
in the field of biopsical medical examination on the living
tissues, these biopsical fiber scopes are designed and constructed
for use by an operator and at least one assistant during a medical
examination in such a manner that while an operator proceeds with
an examination of the interior tissues of the living organ by using
a fiber scope, an assistant operates a forceps which is operatively
connected to a trigger or the like disposed outside of the fiber
scope, so as to take a tissue sample according to the instructions
given by the operator.
In these instruments of such construction, it is essentially
required that the operator and his assistant cooperate in harmony,
which requires a well-prepared proficiency in the joint operation
of a fiber scope, otherwise, an improper fiber scope operation
would give pain or even a physical damage to a patient, and
sometimes it was practicably difficult or even impossible to take a
proper sample tissue quickly and correctly at the focal point which
is being observed and targetted at by the operator. Such problems
as experienced in the operation of the prior art fiber scopes are
more or less attributable to the manner of operation which requires
more than one operator, thus they have been very inconvenient to
handle.
It would be advantageous in this consideration, if an improved
biopsical fiber scope operable by a single operator for a proper
biopsy operation is made available, which would overcome all such
drawbacks as experienced in the prior art fiber scope and which
still unsolved until now. In order to meet the above mentioned
problems, it is deemed to be highly desirable to provide an
improved medical instrument for biopsical examination which is
operable freely for carrying out an orientational control and a
series of biopsical manipulations by a single operator. For such
purpose, it is essential to provide an improved biopsy fiber scope
of such construction that there is provided a pair of forceps
having a relatively short extension in an attempt to lessen flexion
of a forceps operating wire extending from the forceps through a
guide sleeve to the outside, whereby a progressive and recessive
motion of the forceps per se may be readily and independently
controlled, an orientational approach of the forceps toward a
target spot of tissues may be finely and delicately controlled, and
when taking a sample tissue, the forceps would not move unstably in
any direction. This invention is essentially directed to meet such
requirements.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is therefore a primary object of the present invention to
provide an improved biopsical fiber scope having a pair of forceps
incorporated and controllable by a single operator wherein there is
provided adaptor means at or adjacent to an inlet of a forceps
guide sleeve which is adapted to controllably guide the direction
of the travel of a forceps controlling wire within the guide
sleeve.
It is another object of this invention to provide an improved
biopsical fiber scope having a pair of forceps incorporated and
controllable by a single operator wherein there is provided adaptor
means at an inlet of a forceps guide sleeve which is adapted to
prevent a flexion of a forceps controlling wire within a forceps
guide sleeve.
It is still another object of this invention to provide an improved
biopsical fiber scope controllable by a single operator and
enabling a precise and fine control in the orientational approach
toward a target spot of tissue while manually operating a pair of
forceps.
According to this invention, briefly summarized by way of a
preferred embodiment thereof, there is provided an improved
biopsical fiber scope controllably manipulated by a single operator
wherein there is provided a pair of biopsy forceps, and a stopper
adapted to fix the biopsy forceps with respect to the body of a
fiber scope is provided on an appropriate position of adaptor
means.
According to another embodiment of this invention, there is
provided an improved biopsical fiber scope controllable by a single
operator wherein there is provided a pair of biopsy forceps, and a
stopper adapted to fix the biopsy forceps both translationally and
rotationally with respect to the fiber scope proper is provided at
a desired position on a forceps controlling wire guide sleeve which
is connected at its one end to adaptor means.
The foregoing objects, characteristics, principle and details of
the present invention, as well as further objects and advantages
thereof, will become apparent from the following detailed
description with respect to preferred embodiments of the invention
when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which
like parts are designated with like reference numerals.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING
In the drawings;
FIG. 1 is a general schematic view showing a biopsical fiber scope
according to a prior art;
FIG. 2 is a general schematic view showing a biopsical fiber scope
according to this invention;
FIG. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary cross-sectional view showing an
adaptor and a stopper shown in FIG. 2; and
FIG. 4 is a similar view to FIG. 3 showing a modification of an
adaptor and a stopper for use in a fiber scope.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
The construction and operation of an improved biopsical fiber scope
according to this invention will now be described in detail with
respect to preferred embodiments thereof by referring to the
accompanying drawings. It should be understood, however, that the
embodiments appeared herein are for illustrative purpose only, but
not in any way for limiting the scope and spirit of the
invention.
Before proceeding further, it will be convenient to fully
understand the characteristic features of the operation of a
biopsical fiber scope having a pair of forceps for taking a sample
from a designated part of tissue in an internal organ.
When operating a biopsical fiber scope by a single operator for
biopsy use, it is necessary for an operator to handle the body or
control unit housing 22 of a fiber scope with one hand while
observing the interior of an internal organ through an optic
assembly of the fiber scope including an eyepiece assembly, the
bundle of optical fibers and an objective assembly, and operate a
forceps through a controlling wire with the other hand. However,
since a biopsical fiber scope of the conventional construction is
designed for use with two operators, or one operator and an
assistant, a forceps controlling wire extends longitudinally from a
guide sleeve of the fiber scope towards the two opposite exterior
portions.
In order for a single operator to carry out biopsical examination,
it is first necessary to shorten the extension or length of a
forceps controlling wire to a suitable extent, as too long an
extension of the controlling wire is not practicable for single
operator use. However, if the forceps controlling wire only is cut
short to a desired length, it becomes practicably difficult to
handle or even impossible to control a travelling motion of the
forceps while making observation through the finder of the fiber
scope, as the controlling wire is now unstable in its orientational
positioning at the inlet of the wire guide sleeve. In more detail,
the forceps controlling wire comprises a thin control steel wire
and a plurality of metal wires wound spirally around the central
steel wire, so that the controlling wire may provide a resilient
and flexible property. Consequently, such construction of the
controlling wire would likely prevent smoothness in its progressive
or recessive motion in sliding at the inlet of the wire guide
sleeve, thus possibly resulting is a flexion in the wire at the
inlet of the guide sleeve.
According to the present invention, there is provided suitable
adaptor means at the inlet portion of the forceps controlling wire
guide sleeve, whereby it is now possible to direct a progressive
motion or a recessive motion of the forceps controlling wire into
or out of the guide sleeve and prevent a flexion of the wire from
occurring, thus allowing an easy control of the directional motion
in sliding of the forceps controlling wire through the inlet of the
guide sleeve. For this purpose, there is provided a thin path of a
desired extension (which varies according to the type of fiber
scope) through which the forceps controling wire is threaded and in
a given direction at the inlet of the guide sleeve of the biopsical
fiber scope. For the material of the adaptor means designed for the
purpose mentioned above, any of such material may be used such as a
synthetic plastic resin, a metal, etc. By using such adaptor means,
a controllability of a biopsical fiber scope by a single operator
is greatly improved. A biopsical examination by using the fiber
scope according to this invention may extensively be applied to a
further similar operation such as a polypectomy, etc.
Description on the construction of an improved biopsical fiber
scope according to this invention will now be made in detail with
respect to preferred embodients thereof in conjunction with the
accompanying drawings.
Referring now to FIG. 2, there is shown an a adaptor 5 at the inlet
to a guide sleeve 8 of the fiber scope 1. The guide sleeve 8 forms
a portion of the control unit housing 22 which has therein a
branched conduit 15. As described later in detail in connection
with FIG. 3, the adaptor is formed of a hard plastic resin, metal
or the like, and is fitted on the outer circumference of a guide
sleeve 8 for a forceps controlling wire 9, to which connected is
one end of a flexible tube 7 made a thin plastics such as polyvinyl
chloride or a tube braided of a plurality of thin metal wires for
covering the forceps controlling wire 9. The above mentioned
flexible tube 7 can be emitted in the practice of this flexible
invention, but with use of this tube 7, a biopsical operation can
advantageously be performed with greater ease. The length of the
adaptor 5 is designed for an extension which may positively direct
the sliding motion of the forceps controlling wire 9, and which may
vary depend on the type of a biopsical fiber scope. The connection
between the adaptor 5 and the forceps guide sleeve 8 may be
obtained preferably by a threaded connection means therebetween. In
the embodiment shown in FIG. 3, the flexible tube 7 received within
the adaptor is further extended toward the neck of the forceps
control means or operating handle 4 to cover the forceps
controlling wire 9, and there is further disposed a stopper 6 in
the proximity of the adaptor 5 mounted on the flexible tube 7. The
stopper 6 may be of a similar type to that applicable to an
adjuster means for an instillation liquid as in use of the ease of
instillation. In detail, when a central shaft of a roll 11 is moved
along a sliding groove 12, at one end of the groove 12 the roll 11
may urge the forceps controlling wire 9 within the stopper 6 with
respect to the flexible tube 7, while at the other end thereof
where the above mentioned groove 12 is made larger, the forceps
controlling wire 9 can be relieved from an engagement or urging
action against the flexible tube 7.
Now referring to FIG. 4, there is shown another embodiment of the
adaptor according to this invention, wherein the adaptor 5 is
threadedly connected with the inside of the forceps guide sleeve 8
of the control unit housing 22 at the inlet thereof, and there is
provided the stopper 6 in a desired position on the adaptor 5. The
stopper 6 is provided with threads and is adapted to threadedly
progress, when screwed-in, into the adaptor 5 so as to urge the
forceps controlling wire 9 through the flexible tube 7 against the
adaptor 5, thus functioning to prevent the forceps 3 from moving in
any way.
Incidentally, the flexible tube 7 as shown connected to the inside
of the adaptor 5 in FIGS. 3 and 4 may not be connected so far, but
may be connected at the end area, for instance, of the adaptor. On
the other hand, when the adaptor 5 and the flexible tube 7 are made
of the same material, it is also possible to form them in an
integral construction.
In operation, a single operator can conduct a biopsical examination
and sampling procedures in such a manner that while making
observation therefor of the interior of an internal organ of a
patient through the optic assembly including the eyepiece assembly
23, the optical fiber bundle 24, and the objective assembly 25, and
holding with one hand the control unit housing 22 and operating the
distal end of the flexible hollow conduit portion 21 of the fiber
scope with an accurate and appropriate orientational control by
using a control means (not shown) at the head of the control unit
housing 22 so as to approach to a target focus spot in the living
organ, it is now possible for him to handle the forceps 3 by
adjusting the degree of extension thereof with the other hand. In
general, the orientational control for the purpose of orientating
and pointing the tip ends of the forceps 3 at a target spot in the
organ has usually been difficult to perform precisely, since the
fiber scope per se has a substantial flexibility, furthermore the
internal organ also may move peristaltically during the fiber scope
operation.
In this respect, according to this invention there is specifically
provided a stopper 6 which is adapted to selectively fix the
extension of the forceps 3 within the interior of the organ in
order to perform such orientational control finely and precisely.
The stopper 6 is operated in such a manner that it is threadedly
secured for fixing the extension of the forceps 3 on one hand,
while it is unscrewed to release the forceps 3 on the other,
whereby the orientational control of the forceps 3 may be effected
with a delicate and versatile operability. In this respect, it is
preferred that the stopper 6 is of a construction permitting an
easy adjustment so that it may be controlled quickly whenever so
required. The location of the stopper 6 is preferably at a suitable
position for ready accessibility on the flexible tube 7 covering
the forceps controlling wire.
As fully described hereinbefore, this invention provides an
improved biopsical fiber scope which is operable with a single
operator, with ease of handling, and which can advantageously
afford a quick and precise sampling action in its biopsical use in
the interior of an internal organ of a patient.
Although detailed descriptions have been made exclusively on the
foregoing typical embodiments of this invention, it should be
understood, as indicated hereinbefore, that the preferred
embodiments as described and shown herein do not mean in any way
limitations of this invention thereto, but on the contrary, many
changes, variations and modifications with respect to the
construction and arrangement in practice thereof may further be
derived by those skilled in the art to which the present invention
pertains, whereby the advantageous characteristics of this
invention may be realized without departing from the spirit and
scope of the invention as set forth hereunto in the appended
claims.
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